Dan Levin Memorial Scholarship
Application Criteria
In order for an applicant to be considered for any scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Member in good standing of the Illinois Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf (IRID)
- Eligibility to take an RID Performance exam (passed the RID Knowledge Based Test, proof of meeting education requirements.) OR
- Eligibility to take a BEI Performance exam (passed the BEI Test of English Proficiency (TEP)
- Licensed to interpret in the State of Illinois.
- Candidates should prepare and submit a resume and a letter of intent indicating why she/he should be considered for the scholarship and what she/he has done to prepare for the examination.
Candidates may apply for consideration once per membership cycle (September 1st to August 31st).
Candidates may only receive one Dan Levin scholarship during their lifetime.
Current IRID Board Members and Scholarship Committee Members are not eligible to apply.
Nationally certified members may apply for the scholarship to achieve a higher level or an additional certification.
The application must be completed with all paperwork enclosed with the application.
Scholarships are granted in the form of a voucher for use in the one (1) year period after the voucher is granted. Candidates who are awarded vouchers will be reimbursed upon submitting proof of taking the test. Candidates do not need to pass the test to be reimbursed. All items required for reimbursement such as proof of taking the test, IRID reimbursement form, etc. must be submitted to the IRID Board within ninety (90) days of taking the test.
Application Review
Completed materials will be processed by the IRID Board and submitted to the Scholarship Committee. Incomplete submissions will not be processed. Board processing will consist of the copying of all submitted materials with all identifying information (name, address, etc.) removed. The copies will then be submitted to the Scholarship Committee for consideration. In the absence of a functioning Scholarship Committee, the IRID Board will evaluate the applications.
The Scholarship Committee (or the Board in their absence) will evaluate submissions based on the following criteria:
- Past, present and future involvement in IRID and/or RID as reported in the letter of intent.
- Education and experience in the field of interpreting as reported in the letter of intent and resume.
- Quality of work and professionalism as described in the letters of recommendation.
- Indications of commitment to the interpreting profession as indicated in resume, letter of intent, and letters of recommendation.
- Quality and appearance of the submitted letters and forms.
The Scholarship Committee will submit their recommendations to the IRID Board for final approval.
Candidates will be notified via email or mail of the results of their submission.
Please direct questions to the IRID Secretary at secretary@irid.org.
